I *heart* Lady Vintage!!

I posted last week about my Lady Vintage dress, and how I wasn't convinced by the colours / pattern. It wasn't 'doing it' for me. And now I know why - there is better Lady Vintage out there!!

I am in love. Absolutely in love! If I was to just own one dress in as many colours / patterns as I liked, it would be this one. Now, I know this a big statement, but wait for it:

 I honestly have no words for this! It is a tad small. I accidently ordered a 20, instead of a 22 (I know, who would do such a thing?!) but with the help of some shapewear (a post will come about my amazing shapewear, I promise :)) I think it works! 

I wouldn't wear this for 'smart business dress' days as it is a little 'cleavage' heavy - but as I'm sat at my desk all day, I was expecting it to be a little restricted, and it isn't, not really!

Once I sort out my cash flow I will be looking to get more of these dresses, but I think they only made 100 in each pattern, so I need to hope that they get more in.

My favourite three are:

 But honestly, if someone want to get me them, at £30 a dress, I'd pay you back in love and cuddles?

I do know that this:

is proving popular - especially in the white!

I am in love.

Much love my lovelies,

K x

Getting to know you: 11 questions

I'm not sure why I haven't done this sooner, but I'm guessing it is because I've been debating who I would pass this onto!!

11 Random Things

I have worn glasses since I was 11

I still live with my parents

I am an only child

I have 2 dogs

My longest relationship has been 5 months

I used to collect single releases in ALL formats. My vinyl collection is quite impressive.

I wish it was still 2004

The band I have seen the most live is Maximo Park, closely followed by the Futureheads

I have books signed by bands (Cooper Temple Clause, BRMC, Futureheads, Maximo Park)

I always carry a book with me

I want a tattoo but don't know what to get

My 11 Questions for the Bloggers Below:

1.  What is the last movie you’ve seen? What did you think of it?

Last film was possibly Twilight - Breaking Dawn as my Mam really want to go to see it. I've not read the books or seen any of the other films, so it didn't really make much sense to be honest!!

2.  What has been your fave holiday? My trip to New York in 2004 with my Mam and very good friend Jackie. I'd won a competition through a local band called the Futureheads, and got to see them, Franz Ferdinand and a band called the Delays in New York. We stayed at a 5* Hotel called the Paramount and it was blazing hot. I LOVED it

3.  Talking about holidays.. what is a place that you really want to visit? I'd love to go back to America, the likes of Washington, Boston, etc really appeal.

4.  Do you like to cook? What’s your ‘signature dish’? I love to do it, but never have the inspiration!! If someone asked me to cook something, I would. But having to decide? ooh, not good! I like making Risotto and Tuna Pasta Bake...

5.  Have you tried online dating? Any success?

Yes. No. I keep going back for more though.

6.  Are you a phone person? Talking on the phone I mean.

HATE IT! Even though I worked in a call centre for 2 years, I really really hate talking on the phone. Writing yes. In person, yes. Phone, NO

7.  If you could only shop clothes from one store for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?

Tough call - I'm guessing it has to be a +fashion store? Probably SimplyBe, as they do staples really well. But wish I could say something like Cath Kidston or LadyVintage or Collectif

8.  Do you have many best friends or just one?

A number of very good friends

9.  Do you feel that you’re in your right career (or going towards one if you’re still studying)?

I feel like I'm in the right area, and would love to see how the private sector progresses for me.

10.  Are you a creative person? How does this come across? (Painting, photography, music.. whatever.)

I used to do Am Dram, I used to write "such bloody awful poetry". Now I express myself through my appearence, and hopefully, my writing. My job and Brownie Pack help with my creativity as well sometimes.

11.  Where is your happy place? Please describe it.

It is usually a mental place - It is TyneMouth Priory on the North Sea Coast, just where the Tyne meets the sea. When I first went there, there was a storm coming, so the sky was almost black. It was very atmospheric, but at the same time, very calming as we were the only people there. This was 10 years ago, and it still effects me.

11 Questions

I'm changing it to the Roman Numeral: II

So two questions I would like to ask?

Why do you blog - has this motive changed since you began?

What do you read blogs for? Has this changed since you began?

Tagging: Anyone who would like to answer my two questions :D

Much love my lovelies,

K x

There are five rules:
1. Post these rules
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you’ve tagged them

Picture: My work online photo - I was the only one to get a photo that was above waist, everyone else was shoulder and upwards!

Fashion Maths

Take one pair of Simply Be skinny jeans, team with low wedges from Viva La Diva

Team with a sleeveless ASOS collared dress:

 Add my new Domino Dollhouse Swing Jacket:

Add a belt:

 And you get a very happy Kathryn!

I know there is a lot going on with this outfit - dots and bows and collars and belts and the sleeves and two hems. But I love it. 

I feel it shows my 'F*** it' attitude which is developing!! It is edgy (in my mind) and different. 

Not much in the plus size world is 'different' - we've seen all bloggers everywhere snatch a version of the New Look Swallow Print dress. We're all waiting with baited breath about the Swan Collection for Evans. And I know that the new Domino Dollhouse Collection will get a LOT of attention. 

So it comes down to how we wear key pieces. How we piece it all together. How we express ourselves in what we wear. 

I wanted something whimsical today. I wanted something flowing and yet something that I wouldn't class as business dress. 

I feel confident. I feel in control. And that is what matters. 

Much love my lovelies, 

K xx

The Lady does Vintage

I bought this dress off eBay a while back, but it was just before I had my flare up, and I'll be honest, I wasn't feeling it. 

I wore it again last week for work, and I'll be honest, I'm still not sure about it. I think it is the pattern, because it certainly isn't the fit, or the style of dress!

The belt that came with it is in the same pattern as the dress, and I'll admit, looking at the colours again in the photos, I am still not sure that purple and red go together. 

I recently picked up a petticoat, thinking it would help to puff out some of my swing dresses. I'm thinking it might add shape to this dress, shape that it desperately needs. 

I sat down to write the post, having sung the praises of the fit. And it is only through actively thinking about the dress, and how it made me feel, that I realised that I'm not convinced by the dress itself. The fit is great on me, it snuggly sits under my arms, no gaping, and it is flowing everywhere else. 

I'll report back when I've tried it on with the petticoat, but otherwise, it may be going on eBay next month. 

I got it from http://www.ladyvlondon.com/, and I've just ordered another in a different style and pattern, which I hope to team with the petticoat!

Much love my lovelies, 

K x

Letting my hair down!

I realised last week, that I had not been out since Christmas Eve. But we had plans to rectify this last night!! I don't usually do 'Friday'drinking, needing to recover from the working week first, but I managed to keep myself going!!

Thursday was new hair cut day, Friday, drinkies and dancing, and Saturday, well, just recovering!

 

I wore my Collectif dress, my Evans belt and flesh tone tights and grey Viva la Diva shoes. I laughed. I caught up with old friends. I drank. But mainly I danced. Danced like a dancy thing!

Our group of friends are all off doing our separate things, but when we're together, we just click. And welcome anyone new with open dancing arms!!

We started off in the relative quiet of a friends lovely flat, drinking self measures but mainly chatting. Once we moved on to Mimo, a cocktail bar in Newcastle, where there was 2 for 1 on Mojitos! The drink I'm drinking above is meant to have a half bottle of vodka in there - enough to say we shared it!!

Dancing then commenced at a club night called JukeBox - 3 hours of dancing. Good times were had.

My Friday night was very successful, and my Saturday was very lazy, just as I had planned it to be! I have a lot planned for tomorrow, but today has been JOYOUS. Napping, eating cold pizza and watching rubbish telly. Not a glamourous post, but a true one!

Outside comfort zone!

My blog references mistakes, and boy, have I made some!! When I left for work on Wednesday, I was sure I had made another one with my outfit choice. I'd opted for my Inspire Green Skater dress, my big belt, and my new shoes from SimplyBe (Viva La Diva, I do love thee!).

I failed in my attempt to take photos of the shoes, but I reckon they deserve a post of their own soon enough!

I felt confident in this, although looking at the photos, I am glad I wore this with my skinny jeans underneath, at least for work anyways!!

The dress is a lovely fit, although without the belt, it is rather shapeless - I chose to change the leopard print belt that came with it for this wider one as I needed the cinching I think!

So I think this could have been a mistake, but it seems to have worked this time! Just goes to show that fashion is about taking risks, stepping outside of your comfort zone. And sometimes you just want to say F*CK FLATTERING!!

Much love my lovelies,

K x

Simply Yours, Stockton!

In my last post, I concentrated on the atmosphere in the store, as the joy of the Magic Mirror!

But more important than that, was this:

I have always been a believer that the lingerie is the foundation of the outfit - a gorgeous outfit can be ruined by ill fitting, incorrect underwear.

I have recently altered in size, and was keen to see if I could pick up some well fitting underwear! But I was unprepared for the popularity!!

I was able to speak to a couple of members of staff, and unwittingly pretended to be a customer, which I was, granted, but I did feel as though I should have a 'blogger' sign somewhere on my person!! That is by the by though, and I was keen to talk fitting!

She uttered the immortal words:

We measure the underbust, and then go on the fit of the current bras.

I could have kissed her!!

It was similar to the philosophy of Elomi girls had at PLUS LONDON, and it works. It's using your eyes to work out what is 'wrong' with the bra you are currently wearing, and correcting it. All the staff are trained in bra fitting, and as the changing rooms are, er, roomy, there is plenty of room for you and the fitter to try on and analyse!!

I didn't get fitted as it was MANIC - but I will be getting fitted their in the future! **swoon** Curvy Kate

Much love my lovelies,

K x

Simply Stockton

I don't think my urge to blog has been this strong before!! I left the Simply Be store in Stockton, feeling invigorated, feeling charged, and feeling like things were finally starting to change for the plus size world.

Having read a number of posts following the Doncaster launch a week or so ago, I thought I knew what to expect! For some reason, I expected the store to be closed, except to us 'VIPs' (what we were called on the 'List'!) and competetion winners. But in reality, it was better.

There are a lot of women out there crying out for stores like SimplyBe. And I mean STORES. SHOPS. Places where you can go, touch, feel, try on clothes in the safety of other people like them. They feel ostrasized by fashion, confined to a dark corner of New Look, or faced with a-now-empty Evans store. These women don't 'do' on line shopping. So ASOS Curve might as well not exist for them. SimplyBe are coming to the rescue for these ladies. And by the looks on their faces, they didn't think they needed rescuing!!

I wandered around the store, knowing what I was looking for... I'd seen all the clothes that were in store, pretty much, being a regular on their website(!) but seeing the women in that store, how excited they were, how HAPPY they were, I started to really look at these clothes, and it really hit me how much COLOUR SimplyBe use, how many bright patterns, how many on trend items there were! As well as how many staples were there.

I do think these women were bowled over by the choice, by the staff (even the straight sized staff were wearing SimplyBe fashion) and by the technology:

overheard - Daughter: What is this magic mirror?

Mother: Does it make you slimmer?

I explain the way the mirror works

Mother: Well, what is the use of that?

Now, I loved the mirror! I was the first to tweet from that mirror, and while I was taking the first dress off in the changing room, I was being tweeted as to how nice it looked:

I love this Anna Scholz dress! Review to come soon!!

But now I had an idea on how the camera worked, my next attempt with the mirror was:

Tunic: Glamourosa H - K size 20

Seriously, so much fun to be had with that mirror!!

I made the most of the time in store to wander around, chat to people, staff and customers alike, as well as a wonderful chat with the Face of SimplyBe 2011 - Abi Hill.

Abi and I have exchanged a number of tweets, and this is when social media gives you a distorted view of things!! Abi was of course lovely, but as I introduced myself as 'Kathryn, that lass that stalks you on twitter...' I could have thought that line through a little bit!!

But as I'm sure Abi would agree, the store opening was a huge success, with lots of positive responses from customers. Mainly about the staff!

Staff wise, there was a lovely mix of ladies, straight sized and plus, older, and younger, you name it! They were all passionate about the brand, and their mission statement. And all were looking forward to the Metro Centre launch with Freddy Flintoff on April 17!

I can't wait for the MetroCentre store to open, so I can Clik'n'Collect, so no more Hermes Delivery men to contend with! So I can take photos on the mirror - and apparently, there are CSI style additions to come as well!

I can't wait! See you all at the MetroCentre then ladies!!

Brightening Outlook

Just like the weather at the moment, my days and pain have been hit and miss. Some bright sunny days (such as ones that have ended in social events of a dating variety!), but there have been some dull, overcast days. And so, with the aim of brightening my outlook a little, I've gone for my usual approach of adding a splash of colour in my Outfit of the Day today. But, I'm also trying something new in the world of Kathryn! Hold onto your hats, this might just blow your mind!!

And so, a dress, with jeans. I know it is hardly radical, in fact, I've been doing it for years! But when the dress is the length that to bend forward would be indecent and would have me flashing my ample rear - and leggings won't do - my new skinny jeans have saved the day!!

I would normally have considered sending this dress back, but then thought, lets seek out the perfect skinny jeans instead! And here were are - they're not sagging, or baggy in the knee, and are ankle grazer length so I know I'll be able to wear them with boots in the winter without getting the bottom of the jean wet!!

Here is the sneaky thing: work has a no leggings policy for normal business dress, but jeans - jeans are allowed! Haha, so by wearing them under my dresses, they look like leggings, but are JEANS!

SCORE!

Love this dress, and I know I've already reviewed it, but Butterfly Online are the most competitively priced for Anonymous clothes!

Much love my lovelies,

K x

SOS!!

Afternoon dear readers!

I am in need of your help!

There is going to be a social occasion tonight with me and one other individual! There may be cake involved!!

What should I wear for this 'occasion'? I'm going down the route of a dress, which rules out the Domino Dollhouse skirt and BAZINGA! teeshirt.

So, what are our contenders?

I don't remember dressing for a date being this stressful!!

HELP ME PLEASE!!

K x